A passenger who was riding in a Chevrolet pickup is dead following a collision on FM 971 in Williamson County. The late afternoon accident injured two others, and police have charged the driver of the pickup with drunk driving. This is the second time he has been charged with a similar offense.
The pickup driver allegedly admitted to police he was drinking beer before the accident, and an empty beer can was found in his vehicle. He was charged with aggravated assault and intoxication manslaughter and confined to the Williamson County Jail. His bond was set at $500,000.
The car accident occurred at about 4:20 p.m. in the area of Heritage Hollow when the pickup driver lost control of his vehicle. The driver allegedly overcorrected and struck a Toyota Camry heading east on the roadway injuring the driver, 71. The drivers of both vehicles were transported to a hospital with injuries. A 21-year-old passenger in the pickup was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.
Drinking and driving is illegal in Texas as elsewhere, and this behavior may result in injury and death to others. In this case, the driver had a history of drunk driving. The family of the man killed in the crash may experience financial distress in addition to their emotional loss. They may not be in a position to pay funeral and burial costs, and without the income he may have contributed to the household, they could be unable to cover routine expenses.
An attorney in a similar case, after reviewing the arrest and accident reports, may assist a family in building a case against a negligent driver. The attorney may also offer guidance in filing a wrongful death suit in civil court to recover compensatory damages.
Source: KVUE, “Georgetown man charged in crash that left one dead, one injured“, September 03, 2014
